Surgical technique for inserting the cochlear multielectrode array into ears with total neo-ossification.

A method of inserting a multielectrode cochlear implant into a cochlea that has become totally ossified following meningitis is described. The method, called the inlay technique, involves drilling a cleft so that the electrode array can be inserted along the position of the basal coil. First, the technique involves drilling along the scala tympani. Second, by drilling out the scala vestibuli, space is created to follow the basal turn of the cochlea without removing the overlying promontory. Five children have had this surgery, and between 12 and 15 electrodes were inserted. Two of the children have developed some open-set listening ability, with open-set sentence recognition scores of over 10%. One child has obtained open-set listening scores of over 50%.